Nightmares and Trains
by mehlark
Summary: Katniss and Peeta are both haunted by nightmares of their experience in the seventy fourth Hunger Games. But on a train to the Capitol they manage to find solace in one anothers arms. What really happened those nights on the train.
1. One

It is late when Katniss finally falls asleep. The movement of the train finally lulling her exhausted body to sleep. Almost immediately she falls into a nightmare. Tonight it's one of the dog mutations from the arena. Glimmers eyes bear down upon her as the dog rips her slowly to pieces the way it did Cato. A scream rises up in her throat and more follow it. When she finally manages to open her eyes she is still screaming.

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There is a noise outside her door. Peeta, he roams the train each night when everyone else is asleep. Katniss is still panting heavily terror coursing through her entire body. The door handle to her room turns and Peeta enters dressed in his night clothes.

"Katniss?" Peeta's voice is barely above a whisper. She can't reply and merely let's out a small sobbing noise by means of response.

"It's okay. It was just a bad dream," he murmurs making his way over to her in the darkness.

"It was the dog. The one with Glimmers eyes," she says sits down on the bed resting his back against the head board.

"I know, I get nightmares too. But they're only dreams Katniss, they're not real."

"I can't go back to sleep Peeta. I'm so scared," she whispers into the darkness.

"Its okay, I'm right here Katniss. I'll look after you," he puts his arm around her shoulder and draws her into him. Almost immediately she buries her face into his chest and grips the fabric of his shirt tightly.

"Don't leave me, please?" she pleads in a whisper.

"I'm not going anywhere," he replies and places a light kiss on the top of her head. Her breathing begins to slow down now and her heart has stopped racing. He lets his fingers glide over her hair, caressing her to sleep.

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Eventually her eyes flutter closed and her breathing steadies. He doesn't want to fall asleep, not now when she is so close. He stares at her taking in every detail. The way her hair falls over her face, the colour of her dark eyelashes, the perfect shape of her lips. He can feel her warm breath on his neck and can't quite believe he's here. So close to this girl who he loves more than anything else. They are so close yet he feels like they're separated by miles and miles. His lips softly graze her forehead for a moment before he lets out a slight sigh.

"I love you Katniss Everdeen." he whispers into the darkness before closing his eyes and falling into a dreamless sleep.

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**Hello lovely people,**

**So this is my very first fanfic to be published here and I only joined yesterday so I'm still trying to work out how this site works so if I've done anything wrong please let me know. Reviews would be very much appreciated as I love hearing feedback about my work.**

**Thankyou for reading xx**


	2. Two

Peeta walks through the many corridors of the train in the hope the perpetual movement will calm his tumultuous thoughts. He tries to draw calmness from the sight outside the window but can find no solace in the dark shapes which pass by the train. The fact that they are moving closer to the Capitol does nothing to calm his nervous attitude. He makes it to the front end of the train and turns around to walk back the other way. Halfway down the train he reaches his bedroom and considers trying to sleep but realises it will be futile. He continues along the train until he hears screaming. Fear immediately grips him but after a moment he registers that it is Katniss crying out in her sleep.

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He moves down the corridor until he reaches the door behind which Katniss' screams resonant. He twists the handle slowly and cautiously steps into the room. Katniss is still screaming, her body writhing in terror. Peeta moves over to the bed and grabs her arm. "Katniss. Katniss wake up," he shakes her arm urgently in an attempt to pull her out of the nightmare."Katniss," he calls louder this eyes fly open, her face a mask of terror. "Katniss it's okay it was just a dream," Peeta says in an attempt to clam her down. "Peeta," her voice cracks as she says his name. "It's okay. I'm here, it's alright." He pulls back the covers and sits down on the bed beside her. She immediately buries her face in his chest letting out a small whimper. "It's okay Katniss, it's alright." Peeta smooths his hand over her dark hair and wraps his other arm around her shoulder. "I'm sorry Peeta," she whimpers. "Shh, it's okay Katniss just go back to sleep," he uses a comforting like he would for a small child. Her breathing begins to slow down and he feels her body relax into him. Katniss' eyes begin to drift closed. "Night Peeta," she murmurs before drifting off.

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He looks at her for a moment transfixed by how how one person could have so many different personalities. The eager little girl singing on the first day of school, the desperate twelve year old slowly starving to death, the fierce hunter who traded at the hob, the selfless girl who volunteered for her sister at the reaping, the cold and dismissive tribute he met on the train, the furious girl who wanted to kill him after he confessed his feelings, the smart girl who dropped the tracker jackers on the careers, the sweet and kind girl who nursed him back to health, the girl willing to sacrifice her own life at the feast, the rebellious girl who held out the berries and defied the Capitol, the cruel girl on the train who told me him wasn't real, the distant girl who couldn't bear his presence back in district twelve, the lovestruck actor he tours the districts with.

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And the most shocking this girl who lies curled in his arms, a girl whose screams torment him night after night, a girl who cries and whimpers when she is finally awoken, this girl scares him more than any other, even more than the fierce survivor he met in the games. This girl is fragile and damaged, about to snap. This girl is one he must protect no matter what happens. Even if he has to kill President Snow himself he must keep this girl safe.  
"Night Katniss." He places a feather light kiss in the top of her head and let's his eyes drift closed.

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**Hello lovely readers, **

**So I originally wanted to have Peeta having a nightmare but I got a bit side tracked so stay tuned for that in the next chapter. Also thanks for the reviews/follows/favourites it really means a lot to me since this is my first story on this site. Thanks for reading hope you'll stick around for the next update xx **


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